Growing up in Provo, marketing senior Emily Beukers wasn’t sure if she wanted to go to BYU or somewhere further away from home. However, once she entered the BYU Marriott School of Business, Beukers knew she belonged. “Something kept pulling me back to Provo,” she says. “The decision might not have made sense at first, but once I decided to go into business, everything fell into place.”
As a freshman, Beukers enjoyed the artistic and creative side of learning but was also good at math. Her goal was to find a way to combine these skills in business, so when she took an intro to marketing class, she was intrigued. On the last day of that class, her professor discussed the responsibilities of a marketing professional. “I remember thinking, ‘You just described everything I want to do with my life,’” Beukers says.
Beukers knew marketing was the career she was searching for after she was accepted into the major. “I absolutely love marketing,” she says. “It’s this beautiful blend of analytical skills and creative strategy. I am hooked.” Knowing what she does now, Beukers says she could have made the decision to come to BYU with more confidence. “I love BYU Marriott,” she says. “I’ve had an amazing opportunity to connect with professors and students and study what actually matters to me.”
After entering the major, Beukers got involved with the Marketing Association as soon as she could, taking part in preparing events and helping other students succeed. As she approached her senior year, she felt a desire to help her peers share the same motivational experiences she’d had at BYU Marriott. Though she had never before aspired to be in a leadership role, Beukers decided to submit her name for the role of president of the BYU Marriott Marketing Association. “I was finally studying something I loved,” she says. “I wanted to help other students gain the same excitement for marketing that I had.”
As president of the association, Beukers fell in love with leadership. “The Marketing Association has taught me how much I enjoy being a leader. I think a lot about servant leadership. To me, Christ is the best example of that principle,” she says. As she tries to follow His example, Beukers aims to never ask her coworkers to do something she wouldn’t do herself. “I have so many wonderful and capable people helping me,” she says. “When we work together, we see incredible opportunities to help the club grow.”
One of Beukers’s main focuses for the Marketing Association is finding ways to bring new students and seniors together in creative partnerships. Beukers loves when freshmen and sophomores join the Marketing Association even before they are admitted into the major. “Even if they don’t have all the skills right away, freshman and sophomores are such a wonderful addition to the association,” she says. Beukers believes BYU Marriott students are so eager to mentor their younger peers because juniors and seniors have been in the same situation. “When we can help younger students make these important decisions, we feel good because we remember being in the same place. Marketing operates the same way,” she says. “Being able to put yourself in the customers’ shoes and see what they want and need is a valuable skill.”
Alongside collaboration, another of Beukers’s goals for the Marketing Association is helping students realize their potential. When a recruiter came to BYU Marriott from Amazon to headhunt MBA students, Beukers spoke with him and realized the company had openings for talented undergraduate marketing students as well. Due to her quick-thinking efforts, Beukers was able to help connect other students with Amazon recruiters, which led to interview opportunities and eventually helping some land job offers.
Beukers advises undergraduate students to not be afraid to get involved in what they’re interested in. “Even if the payoff isn’t immediate, the decision to get involved with what you care about will always be worth the effort.”
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Writer: Katie Harris
